NEWS & NOTES

Macau gaming operator SJM Holdings has launched a program to help restaurants and bakeries in the Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro and Inner Harbor areas, which were hard hit by Typhoon Hato last August. Macau Chamber of Commerce VP Choi Tat Meng welcomed the plan to help the SMEs draw customers and promote business. ● F&B brand Banksia and Great Night House will expand its headquarters in Macau’s Greater Bay Area, according to co-founder Takeshi Lam. A franchise would be able to develop the business further, while local employees will have expertise in the market, he said. ● Joining the worldwide movement to combat plastic waste, two international hotels in Osaka are moving toward paper straws. The Intercontinental Osaka and Marriott International have banned the straws and plan to cut back on the use of plastic bags and bottles as well. ● Monaco’s Societe des Bains de Mer has brought its first Cafe de Paris Monte Carlo bistro brand to Asia, opening at Galaxy Macau. Galaxy will also team with the European company to jointly bid for a casino license in Japan. • The gaming division of the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office has approved Grover Gaming’s Electronic Pull-Tab devise for use in the state. Garrett Blackwelder, president of Grover Gaming, said, “We are very pleased that we’re officially open for business in North Dakota. They have a very strong Charitable Gaming industry and we are glad to partner with the Charities in North Dakota to bring an exciting new product to that market.” The legislature approved pull-tabs last year and the State Gaming Commission’s rules and regulations became effective in July. • The Pascua Yaqui Tribe, owners of the Casino Del Sol broke ground July 12 on an expansion that includes a six floor, 151-room hotel, 90 space RV park, more meeting space and new Event Center at the sister property, Casino of the Sun. Completion is expected by the end of 2019. The expansion will be on 2.2 acres next to the casino. The tribe will expand its hospitality offerings, said tribal Chairman Robert Valencia” “These additions will create more jobs and will positively impact our Tribe, its members, and Southern Arizona as a whole.” The tribe first built Casino Del Sol 24 years ago. • Muckleshoot Casino in Washington, partnering with Playport Gaming Systems, has unveiled a new app that allows players to gamble real time from anywhere. The catch is that they can only deposit or cash out at the casino itself. The casino will offer Class II games such as Bingo that are not house banked. The app is similar to others, except for the requirement of being at the brick and mortar location to make transactions. Playport introduced the app in Mexico, but this will be its first introduction to U.S. gaming. • Great Canadian Gaming Corporation and UNIFOR union members for Casino Woodbine, Great Blue Heron Casino, Casino Ajax, Elements Casino Mohawk and Elements Casino Brantford have reached four year collective bargaining agreements. This includes a wage increase each year and one percent pension increase. Rod Baker, president and chief executive officer of Great Canadian, made the announcement. The agreement guarantees that Ajax Casino workers will retain the benefits of union membership after the Pickering casino expansion is completed. • California’s Chemehuevi Tribe, owners of Havasu Landing Resort and Casino, are continuing work on a $40 million, 72,500-square-foot casino with a 48-room hotel, 320 slot machines and tables, dining, retail and a marina—all expected to be completed by next spring. Groundbreaking occurred last November. The construction site is a quarter mile from the California side of Lake Havasu. • The WNBA will hold its 2019 All-Star Game at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center. Ticket reservations are already available for the July 27 game, according to news reports. Mandalay Bay is owned by MGM Resorts International, which also owns the WNBA’s new Las Vegas Aces franchise. • Singapore has lost three Michelin-starred restaurants with the departure from Resorts World Sentosa of two Joël Robuchon eateries, including the city-state’s only three-starred venue, and the closing of Osia Steak and Seafood Grill. Singapore retained 39 restaurants in the 2018 Michelin Guide, including two at Sentosa rival Marina Bay Sands. • MGM China Co-Chair Pansy Ho is reported to have bought the second most expensive home in Asia, a US$115 million mansion in Hong Kong’s ultra-exclusive Peak district. Ho is executive chairwoman and managing director of the Hong Kong-based Shun Tak conglomerate founded by her father, Macau casino magnate Stanley Ho. She is MGM China’s largest individual shareholder and ranks 16th on the Forbes list of Hong Kong’s 50 richest people with a net worth of US$4.8 billion.